*þorn

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *þorn "thorn, briar" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *þurnaz (“thorn”),^[1][2] which Köbler cites as *þurna-, *þurnaz, beside a u-stem *þurnu-, *þurnuz.^[3] Orel heads it *þurnuz and writes *þurnuz or *þurnaz in its compounds.^[4][5] EWA traces the West Germanic and Norse forms to the a-stem *þurna- and Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐌿𐍃 (þaurnus) to the u-stem *þurnu-.^[2][6]

Morphology

A masculine a-stem.^[7][2] Old Saxon also has forms of the u- or i-stems, such as the dative plural thorniun in one manuscript of the Heliand, where the other has thornon.^[8][9] Wiktionary sets up a variant *þornu, continuing the u-stem, whose few descendants, Old Saxon thorniun, Old Dutch thorni and Old High German dornin, took on i-stem forms.^[10]

Evidence

The noun is attested as Old English þorn, Old Saxon thorn, Old Dutch thorn and Old High German dorn;^[2] Old Frisian has it only in the derived adjective thornen.^[2] Old High German has it from the 8th century.^[2] In Old Dutch, ONW has the nominative plural thorna in the Old Low and Middle Franconian Psalms of the 10th century, and thornan in Williram's commentary of about 1100.^[11] EWA reports Mayer's view that place names such as Dörenthe near Tecklenburg, recorded in the 9th century, continue derivatives of the word with the Latin suffix -ētum.^[2]

Meanings

1. thorn, briar^[1]

Old English, Old Saxon and Old High German also used the word for the thorn bush,^[7][9][2] Old High German also for "prickle" and "bramble".^[2]

Derivatives

• *haguþorn "hawthorn", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[12] Köbler gives Old English haguþorn, Old Saxon haguthorn, Old Dutch haginthorn and Old High German hagandorn,^[13] and Orel traces the compound to Proto-Germanic.^[5]
• *þurnīn "made of thorns", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[14] Old Frisian thornen (“thorny”) goes back to Proto-Germanic *þurnīn-,^[15] and Orel adds Old English þyrnen (“of thorns”).^[4]

Reflexes

• Old English: þorn (“thorn, thorn bush”)^[7]
• Old Saxon: thorn (“thorn, thorn bush”)^[8]
• Old Dutch: thorn (“thorn”)^[11]
• Old High German: dorn (“thorn, prickle, thorn bush, bramble”)^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þorn
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. dorn
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *þurna-
4. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 430
5. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 149
6. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þurnuz
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þorn
8. ^ a b Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. thorn
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thorn
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þornu
11. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. thorn
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *haguþorn
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hagaþurna-
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þurnīn
15. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. thornen